Textile lubricating apparatus



Jall- 30, 1962 P. E. SHERRILL ETAL 3,018,605

TEXTILE LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. l5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 651.5 c roe CON mcT Sw/ TCH Pou/54a SUPPLY earn/5 r Jan. 30, 1962 P, E. SHERRILL ETAL 3,018,605

TEXTILE LUBRICATING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States This invention relates to apparatus for the handling of textile cords, and more particularly to an improvement in lubrication for such apparatus.

Present day twisting of textile cords is generally raccomplished by the use of an arrangement of rotating spools. The yarns to be twisted are initially led off supply spools and the cord then guided into position directly above the center of the twisting spool. A traveler, loosely attached to a reciprocating ring surrounding the twisting spool, guides the cord past the ring `and onto the barrel of the twisting spool. As the twisting spool rotates, winding up the cord, the traveler spins on the ring because of the cord threaded through the traveler. The greater the speed of the windup spindle, the faster the spinning of the traveler.

Centrifugal force causes the traveler to bear more and more heavily on the inside Isurface of the ring as the speed is increased, creating friction and heat. Until now, it has been common and necessary to supply lubrication to this area only at the start of the twisting operation. Furthermore, in certain types of high-speed twisting, it is not even possible to prelubricate this surface adequately.

Some provisions have been made to lubricate the inside ring surface while :the spindles are turning, but such lubrication has been puovided on the basis vof presset time intervals as, for example, by time clocks` which signal-led a pump system to supply intermittent shots of lubrication.

Since the travel of the reciprocating ring determines the lay of the cord on the twisting spool, the time clock system of lubrication was entirely inadequate rand unreliable. By supplying lubrication based only on time, no control could be exercised over the point 4on the path of ring travel at which lubrication was provided: it might occur while the ring was in the top portion, or in the bottom portion, or anywhere in between. If lubrication should, for example, occur at the bottom of the ring stroke, excessive ballooning of the cord may occur, causing entanglement with cord on adjacent spools, resulting in torn ends, and the necessity of shutting down the equipment temporarily.

In addition, haphazard lubrication tends to produce non-uniformity in theyarn, due to uneven yarn tension.

The present invention provides an automatic system for lubricating the traveiers and rings during the twisting operation, which reduces power loss, prevents overheating, increases part life and produces material of greater uniformity and better quality. The system of the invention is independent of time-clock means, and operates only when the twisting machine is in operation.

To this end there is provided a means for injecting a minute sho-t of lubricant to each ring at intervals determined by the amount of yarn fed to the twisting spool. This is accomplished by having the reciprocating ring-rail contact an adjustable limit switch, which energizes a ratchet relay coil mechanically connected to a contact assembly and la selector switch. When the ring rail has contacted the limit switch the number of times present on the selector switch, and thus caused the prescribed advancement of the contact assembly, power is supplied to open 4 a solenoid valve in an air supply line, which charges a att 3,0l8,505 Patented Jan. 30, 1962 abling the correct lubrication for maximum performance.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to produce high-quality wound cord having uniform tension hitherto unattainable with prior lubricating systems.

It is further an object of the present invention to provide controlled lubrication of the spinning traveler and reciprocating ring in a twisting machine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a continuous lubrication system for cord-handling equipment, which will supply accurate amounts of grease to spinning surfaces at specified axial locations thereof, and at intervals proportional to the amount of cord processed.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a means for lubricating twisting equipment which will result in less objectionable ballooning of the cord and in less necessary shutdown time due to broken cords.

Further advantages and objects of the present invention will be apparent from reference to the following speciiication and drawings of a preferred form of the invention, in which FIGURE l is a fragmentary, schematic side elevation of the apparatus of the invention, with portions omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIGURE 2 isa View taken on line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 3 is ,an enlarged View taken on line 3 3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is. an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4 4 of 'FIGURE 3.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a cord twisting apparatus having a series of supply spools 2 carrying yarn 3. Individual yarns 3 are carried through paired rolls 4, and are thereafter handled as a single cord 5. Cord 5 is threaded through `a traveler 6, which rotates loosely about a traveler ring 7 to twist the cord, which is then wound upon a spool S. Spools 8 are mounted on spindles 9 which are driven in a spindle rail 10 in order to take up the cord 5.

The traveler 6 and associated traveler ring 7 -are carried in a ring rail 12 which is given reciprocal motion axially of the spools 8, as shown by the arrows. The mechanisms for rotating the spindles, for feeding the cord, and for relating the drives, are conventional and, forming no part of the present invention, are not shown, as they will be well known to those skilled in the art. Since the reciprocating mechanism is well-known in the art and constitutes no part of this invention, it will not be detailed or described.

Turning now to the centralized lubrication system, generally indicated by 15, there is provided a lubrication pump 16 having a pressurized inlet 17 and a lubrication outlet 18 communicating with manifolds 19 and ring iittin g 20 by way of tubing 21 and 22. Each ring fitting 20, in turn, continues in a connecting tube 23 extending through an opening in the traveler ring 7 and terminating in a reduced diameter inlet 24 in the inner wall 25.

Turning now to the control portion of the lubrication system, limit switch 29 is so located adjacent the path of the reciprocating ring rail 12 that it may be contacted by the ring rail during its traverse. The limit switch is adjustable axially of the spools 8, and along the path of the ring rail. Closing of the Ilimit switch will energize the coil of the ratchet relay 30, motion of which will advance the ratchet wheel 31 one step; connected mechanically to the ratchet relay mechanism is a stepped contact assembly 32 which acts in conjunction with a selector switch 33. [An electrical path is available through the contact assembly 32 and the selector switch 33 only when the contact assembly 32 has been rotated by the ratchet relay 30 to the position preset on the selector switch 33.

Each time the traversing ring rail 1'2 contacts the limit switch 29, the ratchet wheel 31 of relay 30 advances the contact assembly 32 one step. As stated above, when the necessary number of steps has been attained, as determined by the setting of the selector switch 33, solenoid air valve 34 will be energized, `thus opening it and providing pressure at inlet 17 of the lubricating pump 16 to force a minute shot of grease through outlet 18, tubing 21, manifold 19, tubing 22, fitting 20, tube 23 and opening 24, to the interior surface 25 of each ring 7.

In the circuit of the solenoid air v-alve 34 is also located a reset coil 35 which is energized when the solenoid coil is energized. While the coil of the ratchet relay 3!) is energized, it will predominate over the reset coil 35, and hold the contact assembly 32 in the forward position. As soon as the ring rail 12 moves away from the limit switch 29, however, the coil of the ratchet relay is deenergized, and the reset coil 35 will cause the contact assembly 32 to return to its original position.

It will be seen that the setting of the selector switch 33 determines how many traverses must be made by the ring rail 12, before a shot of lubrication is injected into the ring on the reciprocating ring rail mechanism. Stated differently, the setting of the selector switch 33 determines how many contacts must be made with limit switch 29, and how many steps the ratchet relay 30 must advance, before lubrication.

Based on the rate at which the yarn is led to the spools 8, the frequency of lubrication can thus be tailored to the requirements for producing yarn at uniform tension, by adjusting the selector switch to give correct and sufiicient lubrication. At the same time, the limit switch may be adjusted axially of the spool to provide a minute amount of lubrication at the exact desired relative position of the ring 7 with respect to the spool 8.

Not only does lubrication thus occur at a frequency determinable by the amount of yarn passing onto the spools, but it is injected at the correct point in the travel of ring rail 11.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited thereto, and that various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, the essential features of which are summarized in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Textile machinery for twisting yarn, comprising a reciprocating frame carrying an annular member, a traveler member spinning on said annular member, a fixed lubricant pump, iiuid pressure means adapted to charge said pump, means connecting said fixed pump to said annular member, interrupter means contacted by said frame during each traverse thereof, a relay advancing a contact assembly when said interrupter means is contacted by said frame, selector means connected to said Contact assembly and causing a current to iiow when said contact assembly has advanced a number of times corresponding to the setting of said selector means, a valve in said iiuid pressure means activated by said current to charge said pump and force lubricant through said connecting means to said traveler member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 and means to move said relay to its original position after each lubrication step.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 and additional means activated by said current to stop the iiow thereof after each lubrication step.

4. The apparatus of claim l and reset means activated by said current to move said relay t0 its original position and stop the iiow of said current after each lubrication step.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,005,725 Banfield June 25, 1935 2,005,766 Wright June 25, 1935 2,437,208 Pope Mar. 2, 1948 2,479,401 Pope Aug. 16, 1949 2,815,639 Ridgway Dec. 10, 1957 2,867,076 Atwood Jan. 6, 1959 

